Before accompanying Tiger Woods to the field, Steve Williams used to partner up with another legendary golfer. From 1982 to 1988, Williams was still very young when he traveled the world with Greg Norman. Together, they won 6 PGA Tour titles and 26 international tournaments during that period. By 1989, the two had split up as Norman let go of Williams due to their relationship getting complicated. The ex-LIV Golf boss confessed that they were getting too close as friends and which hindered their professional relationship with each other.

The famed caddie shared some details about the same dynamic recently. Williams was invited to the Between Two Beers Podcast on YouTube on March 30, 2025. The hosts, Steven Holloway and Seamus Marten, helped the veteran looper share the story of his experiences as a caddie, working for Tiger Woods, and his latest book, ‘Together We Roared’. One of the segments included Holloway’s question on how he caddie got close to Greg Norman, as mentioned in the book. At just 19, Williams said Norman took him under his wing, treating him like a son and teaching him the art of caddying by breaking down every shot and decision. Despite being only eight years older, Norman was already a seasoned pro, and Williams credited that mentorship for shaping his career. He had won 15 international trophies as a 27-year-old pro.

While learning from Norman, Williams admitted that the two became good friends. He said, “We spent so much time together… I was staying at his house in Florida. We were going fishing all the time. We were surfing. We were spending an enormous amount of time. He didn’t become the guy I was working for. He was just a mate.” Their professional dynamic turned into two friends who were bouncing off of each other on and off the course. Further reflecting on his time with Greg Norman, Steve Williams described him as one of the toughest and most demanding players to caddie for. He noted that as a caddie, he often served as the scapegoat, absorbing much of Norman’s frustration, especially during high-pressure moments like the 1996 Masters meltdown.

Continuing to talk about his experience, the legendary caddie said, “Through some of those moments when he was getting explicit and having a rant at me, you just take it in. You’ve got to absorb all that. But a couple of times, because I was a friend of him, I crossed the line and gave it back to him. Which is, you don’t do, and so things went a little bit south.” Their great friendship turned into their fallout on the course as a young Steve Williams couldn’t understand that he had to take the heat. Retaliation from his caddie led to Greg Norman firing him, something that he later admitted regretting.

“One door closes and another door opens,” said Williams, as we all know that he went on to caddy for Tiger Woods and had an outstanding career in general. Having said that, the New Zealander has also previously complained about his relationship with the G.O.A.T. Let’s see what he had to say.

Steve Williams’ time with Tiger Woods after getting fired by Greg Norman

There was a period between getting fired by Greg Norman and being hired by Tiger Woods when Steve Williams returned to support his former Australian boss. After the 1996 meltdown, Norman asked Williams to join him for one tournament. However, once that was done, the ex-LIV Golf CEO tried to rope in his former employee again. Williams rejected him, and not long after, started carrying Woods’ bag.

Just like Norman, the 82x PGA Tour winner was also very demanding. Despite celebrating 15 titles with him, the Tiger Woods–Steve Williams partnership didn’t exactly end on a high note. In 2011, following Woods’s injury struggles and personal scandal fallout, Woods abruptly fired Williams, a move that blindsided the longtime caddie and sent shockwaves through the golf world. Williams, who had been fiercely loyal and by Tiger’s side through thick and thin, didn’t hold back. He called the sacking “a slap in the face,” and made it clear he felt betrayed after over a decade of hauling trophies and bags with Woods.

Then, at a caddie awards party, Williams crossed a line, saying he’d felt like he was treated “like a slave” during his time with Woods. The backlash was swift and fierce. Critics and fans alike condemned the remark as offensive and out of touch. Maybe realizing he’d gone too far, Williams issued a public apology, attempting to mend fences and clarify his comments.

Having said that, do you think Greg Norman would have won more titles in his career had he not fired Steve Williams? Let us know what you think.